Absence of the tight junctional protein AF-6 disrupts epithelial cell-cell junctions and cell polarity during mouse development.

BACKGROUND: The establishment, maintenance and rearrangement of junctions between epithelial cells are extremely important in many developmental, physiological and pathological processes. AF-6 is a putative Ras effector; it is also a component of tight and adherens junctions, and has been shown to bind both Ras and the tight-junction protein ZO-1. In the mouse, AF-6 is encoded by the Af6 gene. As cell-cell junctions are important in morphogenesis, we generated a null mutation in the murine Af6 locus to test the hypothesis that lack of AF-6 function would cause epithelial abnormalities. RESULTS: Although cell-cell junctions are thought to be important in early embryogenesis, homozygous mutant embryos were morphologically indistinguishable from wild-type embryos through 6.5 days post coitum (dpc) and were able to establish all three germ layers. The earliest morphological abnormalities were observed in the embryonic ectoderm of mutant embryos at 7.5 dpc. The length of the most apical cell-cell junctions was reduced, and basolateral surfaces of those cells were separated by multiple gaps. Cells of the embryonic ectoderm were less polarized as assessed by histological criteria and lateral localization of an apical marker. Mutant embryos died by 10 dpc, probably as a result of placental failure. CONCLUSIONS: AF-6 is a critical regulator of cell-cell junctions during mouse development. The loss of neuroepithelial polarity in mutants is consistent with a loss of efficacy of the cell-cell junctions that have a critical role in establishing apical/basolateral asymmetry.

Identification and characterization of the ARP1 gene, a target for the human acute leukemia ALL1 gene.

ALL1, the human homologue of Drosophila trithorax, is directly involved in human acute leukemias associated with abnormalities at 11q23. Using the differential display method, we isolated a gene that is down-regulated in All1 double-knockout mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. The gene, designated ARP1 (also termed RIEG, Ptx2, or Otlx2), is a member of a family of homeotic genes containing a short motif shared with several homeobox genes. Using a bacterially synthesized All1 polypeptide encompassing the AT-hook motifs, we identified a 0.5-kb ARP1 DNA fragment that preferentially bound to the polypeptide. Within this DNA, a region of approximately 100 bp was protected by the polypeptide from digestion with ExoIII and DNase I. Whole-mount in situ hybridization to early mouse embryos of 9.5-10.5 days indicated a complex pattern of Arp1 expression spatially overlapping with the expression of All1. Although the ARP1 gene is expressed strongly in bone marrow cells, no transcripts were detected in six leukemia cell lines with 11q23 translocations. These results suggest that ARP1 is up-regulated by the All1 protein, possibly through direct interaction with an upstream DNA sequence of the former. The results are also consistent with the suggestion that ALL1 chimeric proteins resulting from 11q23 abnormalities act in a dominant negative fashion.

Structure and expression pattern of human ALR, a novel gene with strong homology to ALL-1 involved in acute leukemia and to Drosophila trithorax.

The ALL-1 gene is involved in human acute leukemia through chromosome translocations or internal rearrangements. ALL-1 is the human homologue of Drosophila trithorax. The latter is a member of the trithorax group (trx-G) genes which together with the Polycomb group (Pc-G) genes act as positive and negative regulators, respectively, to determine the body structure of Drosophila. We have cloned a novel human gene, ALR, which encodes a gigantic 5262 amino acid long protein containing a SET domain, five PHD fingers, potential zinc fingers, and a very long run of glutamines interrupted by hydrophobic residues, mostly leucine. The SET motif, PDH fingers, zinc fingers and two other regions are most similar to domains of ALL-1 and TRX. The first two motifs are also found in other trx-G and Pc-G proteins. The ALR gene was mapped to chromosome band 12q12-13, adjacent to the VDR gene. This region is involved in duplications and translocations associated with cancer. The analysis of ALR expression showed that its approximately 18 kb long mRNA is expressed, like ALL-1, in most adult tissues, including a variety of hematopoietic cells, with the exception of the liver. Whole mount in situ hybridization to early mouse embryos indicates expression in multiple tissues. Based on similarities in structure and expression pattern, ALR is likely to play a similar role to ALL-1 and trx, although its target genes have yet to be identified.

Specification of pituitary cell lineages by the LIM homeobox gene Lhx3.

During pituitary organogenesis, the progressive differentiation of distinct pituitary-specific cell lineages from a common primordium involves a series of developmental decisions and inductive interactions. Targeted gene disruption in mice showed that Lhx3, a LIM homeobox gene expressed in the pituitary throughout development, is essential for differentiation and proliferation of pituitary cell lineages. In mice homozygous for the Lhx3 mutation, Rathke's pouch formed but failed to grow and differentiate; such mice lacked both the anterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary. The determination of all pituitary cell lineages, except the corticotrophs, was affected, suggesting that a distinct, Lhx3-independent ontogenetic pathway exists for the initial specification of this lineage.

Genomic structure and chromosomal localization of the mouse LIM/homeobox gene Lhx3.

We have previously cloned the murine Lhx3 cDNA that encodes a predicted protein containing two tandemly repeated LIM domains and a homeodomain. Early expression of Lhx3 in oral ectoderm that is committed to contribute to the anterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary and its perseverance in the adult gland strongly suggest an involvement of the gene in mediating and maintaining the differentiation program of this important endocrine system. Additional functions are suggested by the fact that Lhx3 is also expressed bilaterally along the spinal cord and the hindbrain at early stages of mouse development. Here we report the structural organization and chromosomal localization of the Lhx3 gene. The gene is composed of six exons and five introns. Two different exons, Ia and Ib, appear to be alternatively spliced to exon II. The first LIM domain is encoded by exon II and the second by exon III. The homeobox is shared by exons IV and V. We have mapped Lhx3 to the proximal region of mouse chromosome 2 in a region that shares homology with human chromosomes 9q and 10p.

Expression pattern of the murine LIM class homeobox gene Lhx3 in subsets of neural and neuroendocrine tissues.

Murine Lhx3 cDNA isolated from the mouse pituitary cDNA library encodes a LIM-type homeodomain protein that contains two tandemly repeated LIM domains and the homeodomain. The identities of predicted amino acid sequences between the mouse of Lhx3 and Xenopus Xlim-3 genes are 80, 95, and 97% in the LIM domains 1 and 2, and the homeodomain, respectively, and 84% in the entire protein. 5'-RACE procedures and genomic cloning revealed that two distinct N-terminal sequences arise from two different exons 1a and 1b. Exon 1a encodes a sequence similar to that of Xlim-3, whereas exon 1b encodes a different N-terminus. It is likely that there are two transcription initiation sites in the Lhx3 gene. The Lhx3 transcripts were detected by whole mount in situ hybridization as early as day E9.5 post coitum in Rathke's pouch and the closing neural tube. During subsequent development, Lhx3 expression was observed in the anterior and intermediate but not in the posterior lobes of the pituitary, and in the ventral hindbrain and spinal cord. Northern blot analysis of adult tissues showed that Lhx3 mRNA persists in the pituitary. The expression pattern of Lhx3 is well conserved between Xenopus and mouse, underscoring the functional importance of this gene as a regulator of development. A number of established cell lines of pituitary origin express Lhx3 and therefore constitute a useful tool for further study of Lhx3 gene function.

[Amplification of the integrated bovine growth hormone transgene using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)]. / Amplifikatsiia integrirovannogo transgena gena gormona rosta byka metodom polimeraznoi tsepnoi reaktsii (PCR).

Conditions of the PCR amplification of unique fragments of bovine growth hormone (bGH) were found that allow reliable identification of transgenic rabbits for this gene. An integrated construction containing a part of MT promoter of metallothionein gene and chromosomal bGH gene was amplified. Two of 46 newborn lambs were found to be transgenic for the bGH gene by using primers BG3 and BG4 for amplification of the gene bGH fragment and its following restriction with pVUII. We managed to whow the possibility of successful amplification of growth hormones genes of pig and sheep using primers BG3 and BG8, corresponding respectively to the beginning and the end of the bGH gene.

[Expression of the beta-galactosidase gene in transgenic embryos of the loach Misgurnus fossilis L]. / Ekspressiia gena beta-galaktozidazy v transgennykh émbrionakh v'iuna Misgurnus fossilis L.

In order to study the topological characteristics of transgene expression in individuals, early loach embryos were injected with recombinant plasmid fragment, containing lacZ gene under the control of Raus sarcoma virus LTR. The expression of RSV-lacZ construct was found out in 80% of twenty-hours' embryos, 100% 2-3 days' embryos and 40% of 6-8 days' frys. Point and dot expression was observes on the surface of the head, muscle segments, the yolk sac, in the yolk, on the caudal fin. The number, size and intensity of expression dots varied in different individuals and decreased in the course of embryo development. The presence of RSV-lacZ sequences was found in 57% of 19 days frys. The variegation causes of transgene expression are discussed.